The Olmsted Foundation Newsletter - US Na
Transcript of The Olmsted Foundation Newsletter - US Na
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The Olmsted Foundation Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 2 April 2013
Naval Academy Foreign Affairs
Conference (NAFAC)
Foundation President Bruce Scott and Vice President
Bob Stratton traveled to Annapolis on April 9, 2013 to
attend a portion of this year’s Naval Academy Foreign
Affairs Conference (NAFAC), which The Olmsted
Foundation helps support both financially and with
Scholar participants.
The three-day conference brings together over 150
students to participate in roundtable discussions, and
delegates work together to design solutions to many
different domestic and international issues. This year’s
conference, entitled “A Time of Transition: Crafting
Policy for the Near Term,” examined the near-term
effects of current geopolitical trends and events. Each
day of the conference focused on a specific theme
within the over-arching concept of transition.
The conference is both planned and executed by
Midshipmen and this year, as in years past, they did an
outstanding job. Everyone involved enjoyed the
intellectual challenges presented and were appreciative
of The Foundation’s support.
Three Olmsted Scholars participated in the conference
as senior advisors: Mark Golden (OSC 67, Madrid,
Spain), Brendan Mulvaney (OSC 03, Shanghai, China)
and Gary Sampson (OSC 09, Kaohsiung, Taiwan).
They assisted the conference participants in different
roundtables and helped them collectively formulate
and express their thoughts and observations.
While at NAFAC, the Foundation staff, along with the
active duty Navy Director, Capt Alec Mackenzie (OSC
98, St. Petersburg, Russia), also had meetings with the
USNA Superintendent, VADM Mike Miller, and the
Dean-Provost, Dr Andrew Phillips, to discuss the
ongoing partnership between the Naval Academy and
The Foundation.
Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014
On March 12, 2013, the Olmsted Foundation Board of Directors met in Falls Church, Virginia and selected the
55th class of Olmsted Scholars. The Board selected 19 officers for the Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014. These
officers and their projected locations for overseas study are listed below:
James Armstrong, Capt, USMC, Podgorica, Montenegro
Justin Bergen, CPT, USA, Montevideo, Uruguay
James Billings, LT, USN, Shanghai, China
Karlie Blake, LT, USN, Louvain, Belgium
Timothy Boswell, CPT, USA, Paris, France
Justin Bronder, Capt, USAF, Poznan, Poland
Jennifer Floyd, LTJG, USN, Jerusalem, Israel
Peter Gomez, CPT, USA, Madrid, Spain
Joseph Gorman, Capt, USAF, Taipei, Taiwan
Shane Hughes, Capt, USAF, Bangkok, Thailand
Ruth Kelty, 1st Lt, USMC, Maputo, Mozambique
Jared Koelling, CPT, USA, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Matthew Murphy, Capt, USAF, Kunming, China
Jeffrey Ryan, LT, USN, Kyoto, Japan
Raissa Sanchez, CPT, USA, Lisbon, Portugal
Dale Trakas, CPT, USA, Istanbul, Turkey
Michael Walls, Capt, USMC, St. Petersburg, Russia
Thomas Walsh, Capt, USAF, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Jared Wilhelm, LT, USN, Mendoza, Argentina
(l to r) Mackenzie, Stratton, VADM Miller, Scott)
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The President’s Perspective
Finally, here in “weltstadt” Falls Church, Virginia, we have temperatures going above 70 degrees. Spring has finally
arrived, and we all are excited about welcoming the new Class of 2014 at our annual meeting and reception that will
occur at Anderson House on June 1, 2013! I am pleased to let each of you know that, once again, we have selected some
very remarkable young officers from all the Services to participate in the Olmsted Scholar Program. We have never had
more candidates apply, and I thank all of you for your efforts to encourage the “best and the brightest” of your young
officers to submit applications. I want to stress that we are doing all we can to attract diversity candidates as well, so I
urge all of you on active duty to identify high potential minority officers and encourage them to embark on the Olmsted
experience.
As proud as I am of our newest class, I want to take a few moments to reflect on a luncheon the staff and I had in the
Pentagon a few months ago. We invited all the active duty Olmsted Scholars in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area
to join us. Much to my amazement, there are at least 28 active duty Olmsted Scholars serving in the D.C. region. But
what made it so special was listening to where the Scholars are assigned. We were blessed by the attendance of Vice
Admiral Kurt Tidd, J-3 of the Joint Staff, Rear Admiral Jamie Foggo, currently serving on the Navy staff, and Air Force
Brigadier General Tim Fay, currently serving in J-3 of the Joint Staff as well. But what the luncheon unveiled was the
remarkable contribution to our National Security that Olmsted Scholars were providing to the Nation. Scholars were
working in key billets on all the Service Staffs, on the Joint Staff, within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, at the
State Department, the CIA, and finally on the National Security Council. Why so many Scholars in such key billets?
Because of your unique Scholar experience, you have the opportunity to give back to the Nation an in-depth
understanding and perspective on many of the most daunting security issues facing our Nation today. This is what
General Olmsted envisioned when he endowed the program some 55 years ago, and I know he must be smiling as he
looks down on all the great work the Scholars are doing today. Hope to see many of your at Anderson House on June
1st!
Chairman’s Corner
Last quarter I described how we overcome one big
challenge to making the Olmsted Scholar Program work
well, enlisting field commanders to help us more
effectively spot “tomorrow’s leaders” today. But once our
Scholars are selected, a second challenge presents itself…
getting those Scholars and their families to the right school
in the right place. It’s much tougher than it used to be.
With little knowledge of my assigned school on either my
or the Foundation’s part, I received a check and orders that
read “Go…and keep the USAF in the loop.” And so I did.
But that was nearly 50 years ago, and things have changed.
During most of the Cold War, the good guys spoke
English, the bad guys Russian and our allies were well
defined. That also defined where most Scholars studied.
But today’s security interests range worldwide, and our
Scholars need to follow those interests. Using a “strategic
template” reviewed annually by the Board, the Foundation
staff works hard to build a balanced distribution of Scholar
presence, all while accommodating stated preferences. It’s
not easy, and it reflects a lot of effort.
Not all schools are the same, which presents a different set
of challenges. Quality of instruction, costs which balloon
rapidly, scarcity of graduate degrees, and a growing
penchant for offering key courses in English rather than
the host language combine to make “academic beddown” a
real jigsaw puzzle. The academic environment defines the
biggest part of every Scholar’s experience, and it takes
research, flexibility, persistence and negotiating skills to
make things turn out right.
Last are the concerns for security that wrap around every
Scholar and family stationed overseas. No matter where a
Scholar lives and studies, in today’s world either the
Ambassador or the Combatant Commander has ultimate
responsibility for security and welfare. In all too many
situations, including some that really make one wonder,
the easy answer has been “no.” Even when it’s “yes,
provided…,” concerns lead to designated housing and a
tether to the embassy that belies the very experience we
are trying to provide for Scholars. It has become much
tougher for them to “disappear into the woodwork” as we
did years ago.
Yet it continues to happen, producing the right outcomes
despite the challenges. This is because we pick the right
officers, share a clear vision of what it takes for success,
and work hard together to define ways of overcoming
obstacles and making things happen. Our Foundation Staff
deserves real kudos here, and it’s a constant pleasure to
watch their achievements.
Henry (Butch) Viccellio. General,(Ret), USAF
Chairman of the Board
Bruce K. Scott, MG (Ret), USA
President & CEO
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The Olmsted Foundation Board of Directors met on March 12, 2013 at the Falls Church office to review finance
and investment issues, select officers for Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014, and vote in four new members of the
Board. The new members of the Board include Tom Donovan, COL, USA; Alec Mackenzie, CAPT, USN; Angie
Suplisson, Col, USAF; and Dr. Chris Howard, Lt Col, USAFR (Ret).
You can learn their backgrounds by accessing their profiles on the Olmsted Foundation website via Scholars Corner.
Olmsted Foundation Board Meets in Falls Church
Hosting Spanish Students
Doug Fowler (OSC 09, Montevideo, Uruguay) is
currently serving as the Chief of the English
Department at the Spanish AF Academy in San
Javier, Spain. Unlike USAFA, this is officer training
and pilot training at the same time. His 300+ students
don't have much time for English, but they need a
high level of English to graduate. Doug teaches extra
night classes and encourages the students to speak in
English at every opportunity.
Doug stated, “My time as an Olmsted Scholar in
Uruguay taught me that you cannot separate culture
from language. So, I use every English class as an
opportunity to teach American culture (warts and
all). Some of my most successful lessons have dealt
with the 2nd Amendment, Route 66, the Blues,
American Football 101, and the American concept of
privacy.”
He also helps the cadets planning Jul – Aug trips to
the USA. A few Cadets will travel to New York City,
Washington DC, and San Francisco and they could
use a place to sleep and maybe someone to take them
to a baseball game. Several others will go anywhere
as long as they can stay with a family for a couple of
weeks and practice English. Contact Doug at
[email protected] if you’re interested in
this opportunity to continue your Olmsted experience.
Doug Fowler and Spanish Cadets on a no-notice 25km
march along the Mediterranean coast. He used it as an
opportunity to speak to the cadets one-on-one, since he
normally has 30 in a class.
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REFLECTIONS OF AN OLMSTED SPOUSE
When I first learned we would be given the
opportunity by the Olmsted Foundation to live in
Kyiv, Ukraine I was puzzled about what I was going
to do with my time. I did not know if I wanted to look
for work as a design engineer or possibly an unrelated
profession. What I did know was that I wanted to
spend time developing my newest hobby, archery. I
had been practicing archery throughout Ukrainian
language school in Rosslyn, VA and found the sport
to be challenging and stress relieving. Beyond the
sport being physically challenging, it requires focused
concentration. I had never shot in a competition or
had a formal lesson, but I knew that I just liked
shooting. Throughout language school, I started
researching Ukrainian websites about archery and my
language teacher often incorporated this subject in our
lessons. I learned about some of Ukraine’s
local archers and archery shops in Kyiv. It was a fun
way to learn the language by focusing on something
in which I was interested.
When Angela and I went on our familiarization trip to
Kyiv, I made going to the archery shop a top priority
behind finding a place to live. There I learned where I
could shoot and meet other archers, and what
equipment would be hard to buy in Ukraine. When I
returned to the US, I stocked up on the equipment I
knew I would need to get started in competitive
archery in Ukraine.
Once I moved to Ukraine, I was ready to meet some
new friends and begin training in my new sport. I
showed up at the local archery field and introduced
myself to the locals. They were surprised to see a
foreigner coming to join them, but they were very
welcoming. Soon I met a fantastic archery coach
named Dmitry Lvovskiy. I began archery lessons with
him approximately three times per week. My
training was in Ukrainian since he does not speak any
English. Fortunately, some teammates were able to
help with translation when necessary, and I had a
good base from the year of language training prior to
moving to Ukraine.
Here are some reflections of an Olmsted spouse regarding the time he spent in Kyiv, Ukraine. Jason
Reber sent this to us as he and Angela have returned to the USA and are stationed at Fort Gordon,
Georgia. Jason works as a design engineer for John Deere and MAJ Angela Reber (OSC 09) is assigned
as the Executive Officer, 297th Military Intelligence Battalion.
Over the next two years, I competed in over 10
archery tournaments with the team throughout
Ukraine and in Poland. Other international
competitors competed in these tournaments, so I
made friends from all parts of Ukraine and other
Eastern European countries. Because many of these
athletes had never competed with an American
before, they found it impressive that anyone would
travel so far, and attempt to learn and speak
Ukrainian (especially as compared to Russian). They
thought the objectives of the Olmsted Scholar
Program and US Military quite interesting. The local
news channel even interviewed me in L’viv, Ukraine
and the tournament directors often were so kind to
recognize me as a “Guest of Ukraine” with a token
for traveling to their cities and attending their events,
and often asked me to join them for dinner after the
tournament.
For all of the
tournaments, I
traveled with
my Ukrainian
t e a m m a t e s .
We took the
overnight train
or a small bus,
and sometimes
traveled in my
car to other
U k r a i n i a n
cities or to
Poland. It was an interesting experience to see how
these striving Ukrainian athletes traveled so cheaply
and found ways to save money. We typically only
ate food from the grocery store (bread and fruits) and
stayed in very small rooms for rent. Once we stayed
in a room that was $6/night! I was even able to enjoy
some training at a former Soviet Olympic training
compound in Ukraine. Angela would join me when
her studies allowed, also having the opportunity to
explore these cities with my teammates. I also
Jason Reber (R) and his coach and
teammate, Dmitriy Lvovskiy (L))
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inspired one of my American friends who came to
visit us in Ukraine to donate a bow to a worthy
young Ukrainian athlete. It was especially great to
watch the younger athletes improve each
tournament.
I even improved my tournament success. During a 3-
person team tournament in L'viv, Ukraine, my two
Ukrainian teammates and I earned the bronze team
medal. Then later we travelled to Radzymin, Poland
for a special archery tournament. This event was a
relay style for a continuous 24-hour period, a
‘marathon’ for archers. People from over 10
different countries attended, of which I was the only
American. My team and I shot extremely well,
earning the silver team medal! It was exhilarating to
have shot for 24 hours and then be on the medalists’
podium. It felt that the hard work with my coach, the
teamwork built with my Ukrainian teammates, and
my ambition to do it in Ukrainian to ‘live’ the
culture for the past year was paying off. My next
tournament success was an individual bronze medal
in Legnica, Poland. I had a two-time Olympic
medalist coaching my every shot for that
tournament. What a thrill it was to be around such
great athletes!
Archery was certainly an interesting way to try to
experience another culture. It was a way to be active
in the community, to improve significantly my
Ukrainian language, and a great way to really to get
to know my archery team and travel throughout
Ukraine, and see the country from a local
perspective. This training provided me an
opportunity to make memories and friendships that
will truly last a lifetime. I encourage all Olmsteders
and spouses to find something they are passionate
about and make friends in their host city, because for
me this was the ultimate cultural experience.
Jason Reber, OSC 09, Kyiv, Ukraine
Proudly displayed in The Olmsted Foundation’s office is
a shadow box with a certificate and an American flag that
was flown in the Foundation’s honor on a combat
mission over Afghanistan. George Granholm (OSC 09,
Freiburg, Germany) is the Director of Operations for the
17th Airlift Squadron at Charleston AFB and was the
aircraft commander. George is shown displaying the flag
at Bagram Air Base, where he also briefed a group of
young officers on the Olmsted Scholar Program.
Olmsted Presentation at AFIT
On March 7th, Col Angie Suplisson (OSC 01 , Lyon,
France) gave a briefing on the Olmsted Scholarship to
100 2Lts at the Air Force Institute of Technology
(AFIT) at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The 2Lts are
Master's students at AFIT, and the Olmsted briefing
was part of AFIT's 2Lt Mentoring Program which
hosts monthly briefings on career and officer
development topics. After the briefing, many
enthusiastic 2Lts stayed to ask more questions about
this exciting opportunity. Col Suplisson is currently a
PhD Student at AFIT, researching aircraft Automatic
Ground Collision Avoidance Systems (Auto GCAS).
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Abu Dhabi International Triathlon
On 2 Mar 13, Abu Dhabi hosted its International
Triathlon. Billed as the "World's Most Glamorous
Triathlon" since 2010, the triathlon offered three
courses: Long, Short and Sprint. Jamil Musa (OSC
11, Rabat, Morocco) completed the "Short" course,
finishing a 1.5 km swim, 100 km bike and 10 km run
along a route that included Abu Dhabi's corniche and
the famous Yas Marina Formula One Circuit, while
Jay Bessey (OSC 10, Ifrane, Morocco) completed the
"Sprint" course that measured half the "Short" course
distance. It was a great weekend that showcased the
city's modernity and international appeal. Any
Scholars interested in challenging themselves and
participating in a well-organized triathlon in the
Middle East should consider this race!
Mud Run at Monterey in March 2013
On March 23, 2013, a group of Scholars currently at DLI got together for the annual Big Sur Mud Run. They
assembled two teams for the fun five mile run through multiple mud pits, a few climbing walls complete with
Marine Corps Sergeants "encouraging" them, and most importantly, a beer stand at mile 3!
Team “Merica" consisted of Mark Hickie (OSC 13, Rio de Janiero, Brazil), Scott Wallace (OSC 13, New Dehli,
India), Mike Kendall (OSC 13, Hangzhou, China),
Andrew Pesature (OSC 13, Buenos Aires, Argentina)
and Andrew’s brother Dan (Army FAO studying
Arabic).
Team "Pretty in Pink" consisted of Elia Hickie (OSC
13, Rio de Janiero, Brazil), Kim Kendall, Tobe'
Pesature, Kaylan Pesature (Dan's wife) and Lacey
Supinger (AF FAO studying Arabic). They had a great
time, as evidenced by the post-race photo.
Burns Night
Tim Kuehne (OSC 07, Shanghai, China) sent us an
update from England where he is currently stationed
along with Chris Kulas
(OSC 99, Prague, Czech
Republic). He stated,
“Greetings from brightening
and warming England, and I
want to update the
Foundation on a recent event
that would make General
Olmsted proud.”
He noted, “The purpose of
the Scholar Program is to ...
ac qu i re a n i n - dep t h
understanding of foreign cultures, thereby further
equipping officers to serve in positions of great
responsibility as senior leaders in the United States
Armed Forces.” To that end, they both demonstrated
those immersion skills when the British-American
Committee at RAF Mildenhall hosted Burns Night.
The night is a tribute to one of the most-beloved
Scottish poets, Robbie Burns and attendees are fairly
warned: "Please note that this will not be a
politically correct evening. The tradition of Burns
Night dates from a far less sensitive period."
Tim reported, “Chris Kulas dazzled the crowd with
his poetic lyrics, with both a fine tribute to Robbie
Burns and to the attendees as well. It was a fabulous
evening, embracing the culture and engaging in the
fun of our host nation!”
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Air Force Promotions
Two Olmsted Scholars were recently nominated for the
rank of Major General:
Steve Shepro, OSC 93, Strasbourg, France
DT Thompson, OSC 93, Linz, Austria
Three Olmsted Scholars were selected for promotion to
the rank of Colonel:
Phil Cali, OSC 04, Krakow, Poland
Jon Jensen, OSC 06, Bergen, Norway
Steve Renner, OSC 99, Budapest, Hungary
Army Promotions
Two Olmsted Scholars were selected for promotion to the
rank of Colonel:
Tom Nelson, OSC 01, Budapest, Hungary (BTZ and
SSS Fellowship at Stanford)
Bill Medina, OSC 99, Valparaiso, Chile
Maj Brian Denaro, OSC 06, Guangzhou, China, and &
Lt Col Craig Perry, OSC 03, St. Petersburg, Russia, on
Air Force squadron command list
LTC Parker Frawley, OSC 04, Moscow, Russia, took
command on 3 Apr 13 of 1st Attack Reconnaissance
Battalion, 1st Aviation Regiment at Ft Riley
LCDR Mike Nordeen, OSC 05, St. Petersburg, Russia,
screened for Navy Strike Fighter Sq command
MAJ(P) JT Eldridge, OSC 06, Moscow, Russia, and
MAJ(P) Terry Butcher, OSC 06, Bangkok, Thailand, on
the Army principals O-5 command list
MAJ(P) Jason Condrey, OSC 07, Bucharest, Roma-
nia, and LTC Todd Grissom, OSC 06, Kyiv, Ukraine,
on the Army alternate O-5 command list
A REMINDER… Please keep your information in
your profile current and up to date. Submit updates
through Scholars Corner on the website or send
updates to [email protected]
RECENT PROMOTIONS
Dinner in Paris
Earlier this month, Nick Brown (OSC 62, Paris,
France) and his wife, Diane, hosted a dinner party at
their Paris apartment for the US Naval Attaché.
Also attending were Paul Rogers (OSC 11, Lyon,
France) with his date, Julie, and Patrick Murphy
(OSC 11, Munich, Germany) and his wife, Susan.
Both Rogers and Murphy ran the Paris Marathon
two days later, finishing in less than 4 hours!
Across the Generations
Bruce Grossetta (OSC 70, Buenos Aires) and his wife
Gail had met Sean Baerman and family in Tucson
before they left for their Olmsted experience in
Argentina. Noting in the Olmsted Christmas Letter that
the Baermans had completed their Olmsted experience
and just moved to Miami for Sean's follow-on
assignment at SOUTHCOM, the Grossettas arraigned
to meet up with them in Miami as they completed a
cruise from Rio so they could discuss how Buenos
Aires had changed in the 40 years since they were
there. A true meeting across the generations of
Olmsted Scholars.
COMMAND SELECTIONS
Pictured are Bruce (OSC 70), Sean (OSC 11)
and Teague (OSC 33???)
YOU CAN HELP! We continually look for outstanding young officers for the Olmsted Scholar Program. If you know of any eligible officers, please encourage them to register as future Olmsted Scholar Candidates on the website, or to contact The Foundation directly with any questions about the program.
201 Park Washington Court
Fall Church, VA 22046
WE NEED YOUR INPUTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS
We will send all following editions to all Scholars electronically. We will NOT be sending
any hard copies by mail unless you specifically request it. Should you desire a hard copy
of the newsletter be mailed to you, please notify the Foundation at the e-mail address
below.
If you have any updates, articles or news that you feel should be considered for inclusion
in the Olmsted Foundation Newsletter, please send that information to the Foundation.
Keep us informed of any career or life transitions. The Olmsted network may be able to
help connect with other Scholars that can assist with these types of transitions, so please
let us know.
We thank all of you in advance for your participation and inputs.
Inside this issue:
Olmsted Scholar Class of 2014
Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference
Olmsted Foundation Board Meets
Monterey Mud Run
Abu Dhabi International Triathlon
Burns Night
More news and information about the Olmsted Foundation
and the Olmsted Scholar Program can be found at:
www.olmstedfoundation.org